Boxing Day Fun for the Bears
After the new Welsh Government Covid Restrictions put pay to the Annual Boxing Day match against the Old Penarthians, and what was supposed to be a big fundraising event for Marie Curie Hospice Holme Tower, Penarth’s players had to settle for an inhouse match with teams drawn out of hat. And so it was that at 12.30 on Boxing Day the imaginatively named Team A, led by club captain Rhys Morgan, took on Team B, led by vice captain Miles Jones.
As the game started so the sun made a well time arrival to ensure the game was played in glorious conditions. As well as many members of the first and second team squads it was also good to see London residents Nathan Frost and Tom Smith back in Penarth colours as well as Lloyd Clarke and Will Hardy who were back home from university for Christmas.
Team A made a strong start and went ahead early on as second row Cameron Sultana popped up on the wing to burst over to open the scoring. This was followed shortly after by a second for Team A as Leon Appiah showed a clean pair of heels to the defence. Team B came back into it with a breakaway try from Tom Smith. Leon Appiah picked up another two tries for Team A before half time with Aled Rees responding for Team B before Rhys Morgan had a try disallowed on the stroke of half time.
The game was an open flowing affair with plenty of gaps in defence due to a mixture of being 12 players a side and Christmas excess starting to take their toll, the refereeing of first team coaches Matt Bolton (first half) and Paul Williams (second half) also added to the spectacle with their interpretation of the laws. Team A were quickly of the mark again in the second half with Will Hardy and Joe Thomas getting their names on the scoresheet before Aled Rees picked up another try for Team B. Skipper Morgan go in on the act from a rolling maul as the game entered a most entertaining phase.
With scores adjudged to be tied after titanic hour long tussle the match went to the golden point with both sides having chances to take the spoils but not quite getting over the line. The winning points finally came from an unlikely source as Team A executed a well-rehearsed lineout move to put first team loosehead prop Harry Wood in the open to slot a magnificent drop goal worthy of winning any game, and seal his man of the match award.
League rugby remains on its festive break next week but returns on the 8th January when the first team travel to Canton to take on the home team on their 4G artificial pitch, COVID restrictions dependant. At this stage with spectator numbers limited to 50 for community sports events it is recommended that supporters do not attend the match however the club will make announcements over their social media channels in the event that there are any changes.
The club will be moving its fundraising event for Marie Curie to its first home game of 2022 against Clwb Rygbi Cymru Caerdydd on Saturday 22nd January 2022.
